Below you'll find insider tips on getting the best from Sydney, from hints on finding a home to reviews of the hottest restaurants in town.
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Death Certificate & Registration
In the Event of a Death
Most deaths occur in a hospital or other care facility and those authorities can take care of the formalities. If the death happens elsewhere, call the person’s doctor. A doctor must certify that death has occurred, determine the cause and time, and sign and issue a Medical Certificate Cause of Death. The doctor or an ambulance will then take the body to a mortuary.
Funeral Directors
Next, get in touch with a funeral director. You can find lists of these at the Australian Funeral Directors Association (www.afda.org.au). Don’t expect an immediate funeral. First, the doctor must sign and issue a Death Certificate. Only then can the funeral company take charge of the body and prepare for the service.
Claiming Life Insurance
Contact the deceased’s insurance policy provider, which will almost certainly need you to present the doctor’s Medical Certificate Cause of Death, a Death Certificate from the NSW Registry of Births, Marriages & Deaths, your own proof of identification, and (if applicable) a copy of the coroner’s report.
The Funeral
The family has almost absolute choice when it comes to the funeral service. The only exception is if the death resulted in a coroner’s investigation (as in some murder cases). Then the authorities might only allow a burial, in case the body has to be exhumed later for further investigation.
In Australia today the number of people choosing to be cremated is increasing and cremations now outnumber burials. Funeral direction used to be solely a family-run business but it is becoming more corporate as further franchises open. It’s not exactly ‘Funerals R Us’ yet but for a more traditional funeral you may want to pick a family-owned business.
Investigation and Autopsy
In certain instances (like suspicious deaths) it may not be legally possible for a doctor to issue a certificate. If a doctor cannot determine the cause of death, it is unexpected or happens in an institution, the police and coroner may get involved. A post mortem examination (autopsy) is a detailed examination of the body conducted by a pathologist to establish the cause of death. A funeral director can liaise with coroner’s staff for you and be ready when the body is released.
Registering a Death
Funeral directors are legally responsible for registering a death within seven days of the burial or cremation. The NSW Registry of Births Marriages & Deaths then uses the details to produce a death certificate. You can get these by completing an application form in the Death Certificates section of the registry’s website (www.bdm.nsw.gov.au – cost $38, but prices are subject to change). Death certificate applications need three forms of identification: a passport, Medicare card and credit or debit card. If you have an Australian driving licence, bring that as well.
It is also possible for a relative of the deceased to complete the death registration process but this is complicated. You will need to provide the deceased’s surname, first names, sex, date of death and birth, place of death, address, occupation, marriage details (place, age, full name of spouse), details of children and both parents.
As well as that lengthy list, you will need to supply a Medical Certificate Cause of Death (the one issued by the doctor) stating the cause of death. If the coroner has been involved you must supply the coronial order. If you are not a funeral director and wish to register a death, call 1300 655 236 for a registration form.
Returning the Deceased to Country of Origin
This is known as repatriating the body and in multicultural Sydney is quite popular. It must be organised through a registered funeral director and a death certificate must be issued before the body can be put on a plane or ship.
Most deaths occur in a hospital or other care facility and those authorities can take care of the formalities. If the death happens elsewhere, call the person’s doctor. A doctor must certify that death has occurred, determine the cause and time, and sign and issue a Medical Certificate Cause of Death. The doctor or an ambulance will then take the body to a mortuary.
Funeral Directors
Next, get in touch with a funeral director. You can find lists of these at the Australian Funeral Directors Association (www.afda.org.au). Don’t expect an immediate funeral. First, the doctor must sign and issue a Death Certificate. Only then can the funeral company take charge of the body and prepare for the service.
Claiming Life Insurance
Contact the deceased’s insurance policy provider, which will almost certainly need you to present the doctor’s Medical Certificate Cause of Death, a Death Certificate from the NSW Registry of Births, Marriages & Deaths, your own proof of identification, and (if applicable) a copy of the coroner’s report.
The Funeral
The family has almost absolute choice when it comes to the funeral service. The only exception is if the death resulted in a coroner’s investigation (as in some murder cases). Then the authorities might only allow a burial, in case the body has to be exhumed later for further investigation.
In Australia today the number of people choosing to be cremated is increasing and cremations now outnumber burials. Funeral direction used to be solely a family-run business but it is becoming more corporate as further franchises open. It’s not exactly ‘Funerals R Us’ yet but for a more traditional funeral you may want to pick a family-owned business.
Investigation and Autopsy
In certain instances (like suspicious deaths) it may not be legally possible for a doctor to issue a certificate. If a doctor cannot determine the cause of death, it is unexpected or happens in an institution, the police and coroner may get involved. A post mortem examination (autopsy) is a detailed examination of the body conducted by a pathologist to establish the cause of death. A funeral director can liaise with coroner’s staff for you and be ready when the body is released.
Registering a Death
Funeral directors are legally responsible for registering a death within seven days of the burial or cremation. The NSW Registry of Births Marriages & Deaths then uses the details to produce a death certificate. You can get these by completing an application form in the Death Certificates section of the registry’s website (www.bdm.nsw.gov.au – cost $38, but prices are subject to change). Death certificate applications need three forms of identification: a passport, Medicare card and credit or debit card. If you have an Australian driving licence, bring that as well.
It is also possible for a relative of the deceased to complete the death registration process but this is complicated. You will need to provide the deceased’s surname, first names, sex, date of death and birth, place of death, address, occupation, marriage details (place, age, full name of spouse), details of children and both parents.
As well as that lengthy list, you will need to supply a Medical Certificate Cause of Death (the one issued by the doctor) stating the cause of death. If the coroner has been involved you must supply the coronial order. If you are not a funeral director and wish to register a death, call 1300 655 236 for a registration form.
Returning the Deceased to Country of Origin
This is known as repatriating the body and in multicultural Sydney is quite popular. It must be organised through a registered funeral director and a death certificate must be issued before the body can be put on a plane or ship.
